Senior Living: Chair Lifts For Stairs

Stairs present a significant hazard for many seniors, and those who live in a house with stairs often face a difficult decision: leave their home for a single level residence or install stair lifts that will allow safe movement up and down the existing stairways in a home. For those living on a tight budget, this can be a very difficult decision, and sometimes getting straight forward answers about pricing and installation costs can be a challenge.

How Much Do Stair Lifts Really Cost?

The cost involved in the purchase and installation of a chair lift for stairs is one of the most important factors influencing the household decision to purchase handicap stair lifts. If you are planning to buy stair chair lift, you should do some research and product comparison as there are a number of manufacturers selling numerous varieties of chair lifts for stairs in terms of quality and price. The prices mainly depend on the models having required product features and the nature of stairs in your house (straight or curved). There are other factors such as government assistance or rebate, installation costs, and refurbished model that can influence the prices.

Generally, the prices of simple stair lift for straight stairs, on an average, start from $3000 to $4000. However, the prices of feature rich chairs and elaborate stairways can range more than $15,000. That’s why it is highly recommended that you carefully compare the feature and prices of stair chair lifts offered by different manufacturers. You might face a problem in price comparison as most of the sellers of chair lifts show reluctance in quoting their price on the Internet or phone. Most probably they feel that they can assess the stairs and get a better idea about the needs of their customers and thus don’t want to lose the opportunity to make a hard deal by visiting the customer’s premises. You have to be firm, making it clear that if they don’t provide any preliminary price quote according to the information provided over the phone or the Internet, you have the option to purchase from another company.

Factors that Influence Stair Chair Lift Pricing

Undoubtedly, the decision to install a chair lift for stairs can be considered as the major investment for normal household, but you will be surprised that the stairways can be quite affordable than you think of. Recently, the prices of handicap stair lifts have dramatically declined due to the tough competition prevailing in the market as many new manufacturers such as Summit, Acorn, Ameriglide and others have entered in the stairways industry.

As already mentioned, the features of the chair lift for stairs influence the prices and the prices can be more or less depending on the feature. The nature of your stairs is the basic factor influencing the price of your stairway lift. You are lucky if you have straight stairs because the stair chair lifts for curved stairways are more expensive.

The second major factor influencing the price of handicap stair lifts is the lifting capacity of the stairways. You have to spend extra money if you desire to install a heavy-duty stairway lift. However, the extra expense for durable stair chair lifts can be worth having it in the long run because of fewer repairing requirements.

The brand reputation is another major factor that influences the price of stair chair lifts. Logically, as the rationale customer, you need not to pay more money because the company has successfully created its brand. You can avoid paying more for branding by carefully comparing the features and prices of chair lifts for stairs marketed by various companies, whether they are large or small. However, you should also research consumer reviews of the stair chair lifts, specifically from the newer less-known companies to ensure that you purchase from the companies with a good consumer reputation.

You can use other additional options such as leasing arrangements, creative financing and assistance from state to reduce the cost of your stair chair lift installation. For example, Medicare can share some of the installation costs. Alternatively, you can decide to purchase the refurbished models of chair lifts for stairs. However, if you decide to use the refurbished stairway lift, you must ensure that the manufacturer provide a warranty, preferably for at least one year, so that you don’t have to face disappointment from malfunctioning of your stairways lift soon after installation. Although it’s not very common, some companies also provide stair chair lifts for rent, and you can opt for rented stairway lift.

Some companies provide the option of creative financing, reverse mortgage, home-equity loans and other loan arrangements and therefore, you can decide to take a loan in case you are lacking cash for purchasing your stair chair lift installation. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t provide any subsidy for purchasing chair lifts for stairs in the United States. However, some private insurance companies do bear some of the costs, and if you have any private insurance coverage, you can check whether the company will bear any cost of the installations as per their policy.

Chair Lift for Stairs Safety

The elderly, handicapped and people suffering from mobility problems face a serious challenge to pass through the stairs and stairs can be quite dangerous to them. These people with mobility issues are highly vulnerable to falling down the stairs leading to serious injuries. One-time investment in purchasing chair lifts for stairs eliminates the mobility challenge faced by such people with safety.

Besides providing a safe and secure method of moving through stairs, the stair chair lifts also secure a sense of independence among the people suffering from mobility issues. These people can easily pass through the stairs having a chair lift whenever they want to, without the need of any household member to help them.

However, you should remember that even though the stairway lifts have been designed to resolve the concerns of stair falls; the chair lifts for stairs are not completely free from any flaws and pose new apprehensions that need to be tackled. You need to purchase a chair lift for stairs, which is secure and stable. So, if you are planning to install any chair lifts for stairs in your home, you have to take note of these concerns. For example, you must ensure that model of the chair lift for stairs you have decided to install in your house also contains a battery as an alternate power source so that your loved ones using the chair are not stranded in case of a blackout. This becomes particularly important if your area is subject to the frequent power outages.

Similarly, if your loved one is having difficulty in bending, you need to consider standing models of stair chair lifts. You may also consider a wheelchairs model of stair chair lifts instead of the simple ones for those having trouble in moving. Here is a promotional video from one popular manufacturer that shows some of the many safety features found in most chair lift for stairs models.

For many seniors, the cost of installing stair lifts in their home will be far less than moving to a new home. Stair lifts also make homes much more safe and easy to move about for many seniors.

An Introduction To Senior Dating One of the biggest barriers facing many seniors looking for love in their golden years are preconceived notions about seniors and romance. For many younger people, the idea of seniors dating is simply hard to accept. One of the biggest misconceptions shared by many about older people is that they […]

Many younger adults are under the impression that life as a retiree will be a bed of roses, but many educated seniors will tell you that is not necessarily so. People from all over the world are finding that they have to remain in work until they are seventy or older. The reasons they need […]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that they will be adjusting payments upwards (COLA) 1.7% for seniors in 2015. While that only amounts to about $22 more a month for most recipients, over a year it adds up! Here are some additional important changes to expect for 2015: The maximum social security benefits payment […]